A brain made out of metal gears above the phrase RIM Brain in white letters on a black background.

RIM-Brain: Records of Christmas Past

There’s nothing like the holiday season to get you thinking about history and traditions. But have you ever pondered the of role government records in documenting yuletide events? A recent history documentary sparked some Christmassy RIM-brain for me. It’s beginning to look a lot like records and information management (RIM) everywhere you go! In the…

Udemy logo.

Udemy: A Video Learning Resource

Did you know that there is a free resource available through your local library to help you learn relevant skills needed to be an effective records manager? All you need is a library card! What is Udemy? Udemy is an online video learning platform. It’s one of the free TexShare databases offered at participating Texas…

Playing cards spread out on a table.

Texas, Hold ‘Em! A Review of Destruction Holds

Here at TSLAC we spend a lot of time teaching Texas governments about the benefits of timely disposition. It’s equally important for governments to understand when records should not be destroyed. These situations are called: destruction holds. Normally, records may be destroyed when they have met their full retention period as described on each government’s…

Yellow sparkers in the shape of '2023' on a black background.

Records Management New Year’s Resolutions

The beginning of the new year is a time for reflection and planning for the coming months. What records management goals do you have for 2023? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking. In honor of the season, let’s do a little countdown… 3. Find Community Records management can be a lonely business.…

rocks balanced on top of eachother

How Long is “AV”?

For the most part, the minimum retention periods set out in TSLAC’s schedules provide a specific amount of time that records must be kept. However, some record series have the retention period “AV: as long as administratively valuable.” How long should governments keep those types of records? Well, each government will need to make that…

Unmatched, brightly colored socks hanging on a clothes line.

Outlook Tips for Easy Email Management

I don’t know about you, but one of my least favorite chores is folding the laundry. Even though I know that leaving my clean clothes in a laundry basket creates problems—my work shirts get wrinkled, and I can never find socks that match—I still end up putting it off for days. For many government employees,…